1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dehumidification cooling apparatus for an indoor sports facility which is capable of realizing dehumidification and cooling at a low operating cost in a warm season in the indoor sports facility.
2. Description of the Background Art
In order to keep an indoor sports facility open in a constant condition through the four seasons or all year round, dehumidification, cooling and ventilation in a warm season (i.e., April to September) and humidification, heating and ventilation in a cold season (i.e., November to March) are indispensable.
For example, in an indoor curling rink or an indoor skating rink as the indoor sports facility, humidification, heating and ventilation in the cold season (i.e., November to March) can be easily conducted. However, dehumidification, cooling and ventilation in the warm season (i.e., April to September) require a high operating cost, thus making it difficult to keep such a facility open during this season. In practice, such facilities are mostly open only in winter.
In addition, in an indoor curling rink or the like, if there is a large crowd including players and spectators in the warm season, fog may form because of the difference between the ice temperature and the room temperature. Or, the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures may cause dew or frost to form. This raises a disadvantage in that an official curling competition which requires a homogeneous and delicate ice surface cannot be held.
In general, as methods of dehumidification, a cooling type, a compression type, a suction-adhesion type or an absorption type are known, but dehumidification costs become high in any such method. Hence, it is difficult to realize those methods in the indoor sports facility.
As an apparatus for realizing cooling and ventilation in a low-cost method in the warm season (i.e., April to September), for example, Patent Document 1 presents a method of storing fruit and vegetables for a long time using the latent heat of natural ice. Besides, Patent Document 2 offers a method of cooling and heating a building using the latent heat of natural ice.
Herein, Patent Document 1 is Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-55647 specification, and Patent Document 2 is Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-193967 specification.
As described earlier, dehumidification, cooling and ventilation in the warm season and humidification, heating and ventilation in the cold season are essential for keeping the indoor sports facility open in the same condition throughout the year.
Particularly, in an indoor curling rink or another such facility, dehumidification is imperative to prevent fog, dew or frost from forming.
However, in such an indoor sports facility, a disadvantage arises in that a high operating cost is necessary for dehumidification, cooling and ventilation in the warm season.